The red heifer is the symbol of the reality of life, as opposed to the illusion of death that can grip us and render us unfit to stand in the presence of the Shechinah which fills the Holy Temple and its courtyards. The lives of Moshe, Aharon and Miriam, whose deaths occur or are foretold in this week’s parasha, are emblematic of the message of the red heifer, whose power transcends life and defies human comprehension.